I don't know exactly how to back up such a subjective statement, but I doubt I'll get a lot of pushback from the watch collecting community when I say that the Rolex Daytona is the greatest watch line of all time.
It remains as probably the most recognizable Rolex next to the Submariner, and demands more appreciation (and money) from those that see them in the store or on someone's wrist.
Celebrities, athletes, and collectors the world over see the Daytona and say "damn, that's a great looking watch" and decide they need to have one (or many) in their hands.
But which is the best of these watches? Daytona has gone through a long evolution in it's many decades of production, and we have a long list of them to choose from.
Here at Aletto Jewelers, we always keep a few in our collection to sell (and wear) and we have come to a conclusion as a family: we disagree with each other.
Not completely, mind you. Nick's favorite watch line remains the 36mm Day-Date but he can't say he doesn't love the Daytona line, and struggles to say that even his favorite Day-Date can compare to a clean white dial Daytona, specifically the 116520.
When Nick and I think "Daytona, the 116520 stands out as the first to come to mind. Sure, the upgraded movement and the ceramic bezel are big upgrades to the 116500 and 126500 line, but we don't care. Steel bezel supremacy, baby.
We, as brothers tend to do, disagree on whether the white dial or black dial is the cooler one. So while we remain unified that the 116520 is an incredible reference, we hang up on the details.
Both of us agree on one thing at least: the 116520 is our favorite since not only is it an amazing look, but it's accessible. If you've got the cheddar, and the need for cheddar seems to be growing for this model, you can buy one.
Does that make it the best though? Because we also have two Daytona's in stock that are black and white dial, but far more elusive: four digit references.
Vintage is the fun space to be in right now, and vintage four digit Daytona's are the crème de la crème.
So are these the best? They're cool as hell, and even if you have deep pockets (and deep those pockets must be to get one), they still need to be available. Forget box and papers, good luck getting one that works and that you can wear.
The matte black 6239 we have in stock is a killer for sure. Lean case size and clean dial. But then we have the 6265 with the white dial and damn if I can't get past how cool it looks.
I am personally torn on which is the best, but I can be sure that the very least it's nice to appreciate these greats while they remain in stock.
As of now, we have all four of these in stock. If you have any questions about either, feel free to reach out.
Written by Marco Aletto on April 25th, 2026.